Birthright citizenship hasn't changed much over the years with births to foreign-born mothers in the United States remaining between 20 and 25 percent for over two decades, according to data from a youth advocacy organization.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email on Monday.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump is set to issue executive orders on Monday aimed at tightening border security and cracking down on illegal immigration, which includes ending birthright citizenship for children of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
What To Know
In 2000, 21 percent of births were to foreign-born mothers, according to data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This number has fluctuated slightly throughout the years, peaking at 25 percent in 2006. It decreased to 21 percent in 2021 before increasing to 24 percent in 2023.
It's important to note that this data does not differentiate between illegal and legal foreign-born mothers and includes mothers from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
14th Amendment Simplified
Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which was added in the 19th Century to grant citizenship to former slaves.
The 14th Amendment states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
History of Birthright Citizenship
Births to mothers living in the U.S. illegally generally increased throughout the 1980s until the start of the Great Recession in 2007 when the number of births began to decline, the Pew Research Center said in 2018, citing data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey and Current Population Survey.
What Countries Have Birthright Citizenship?
Here are the countries around the world that have unrestricted birthright citizenship. There are other countries not on these lists that have restricted birthright citizenship.
North America
- United States
- Canada
- Mexico
Central America
- Belize
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panama
The Caribbean
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Barbados
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Jamaica
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
South America
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Ecuador
- Guyana
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Central Africa
- Chad
East Africa
- Tanzania
Southern Africa
- Lesotho
Oceania
- Fiji
- Tuvalu
What People Are Saying
An incoming White House official said in a briefing that Newsweek was a part of on Monday, "We are then going to end birthright citizenship."
"This action gives effect to the phrase, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, in the 14th Amendment, to clarify that, on a perspective basis, the federal government will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States," the official said. "We are also going to enhance the vetting and screening of illegal aliens."
Thomas Wolf, a constitutional expert, wrote on Bluesky on Monday, "Talk of rescinding birthright citizenship is just that: Talk. Presidents can't rescind it, because the Constitution expressly guarantees it. The Constitution's text reflects a basic American principle: Being born here comes with citizenship. Any executive order won't survive the court fights."
Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, told CNN in an article last updated in November 2018 of the 14th Amendment, "It is really important that it's a vision of citizenship based on land rather than blood. It is an idea that anyone can be an American if they commit themselves to our Constitutional values."
Mehdi Hasan, editor-in-chief and CEO of the media company Zeteo, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, "Donald Trump plans to try and end birthright citizenship via executive order. He can't. The 14th Amendment is very clear on this, as is Supreme Court precedent."
Nick Sortor, a political commentator seen on Fox News and Newsmax, reacted to the news of Trump's plans to end birthright citizenship of people living in the U.S. illegally, writing on X on Monday, "GOOD! NO MORE ANCHOR BABIES!"
What Happens Next
If Trump does try to end birthright citizenship for children of people living in the U.S. illegally, it will be sure to be challenged in court given that it is a contentious legal issue.
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